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MARSH: Nelson vs. Dos Santos - The Other Fight to Watch at UFC 117
Jul 28, 2010 - 2:32:55 PM MARSH: Nelson vs. Dos Santos - The Other Fight to Watch at UFC 117

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By: Griffin Marsh, MMATorch Contributor

The Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen bout will, undoubtedly, be at the center of most fans' minds when the UFC kicks off their 117th numbered event on the night of August 7. The best pound-for-pound fighter in the world will be defending his crown for a seventh time. The fight will definitely be one of the more exciting fights of the year and is absolutely deserving of all the attention it will garnish in the pre-fight hype.

However, there is another bout on the card with major title implications as well, and it just may steal the “Fight of the Night” award. The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights winner Roy “Big Country” Nelson will be taking on Junior Dos Santos in a bout that most certainly could determine a number one contender to the UFC Heavyweight Title.

In most of the MMA circles that I am a part of, the common thought is that this bout is Dos Santos' to lose. Most feel his superior striking and solid ground game is far more than Big Country can handle. While my gut instinct agrees with this logic, I feel there are many ways that Nelson can win the fight. And, to count Nelson out of this bout is simply foolish.

Dos Santos Is 11-1 in MMA and is an excellent striker with strong, quick and powerful hands. He has shown the ability to knock opponents out consistently and violently, as Fabricio Werdum found out the hard way. Junior has steam rolled through his competition like a tank on the battlefield. He has knocked eight of his 12 opponents out and has solid ground skills as well.

He trains with Team Blackhouse, which consists of Antonio Noguiera, Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida; that in turn means he’s training with some of the best strikers and ground fighters in the world. When you train with the best, it gives you an upper hand on your opponent if he isn’t going up against the same level of competition day in and day out. In my mind, Dos Santos should absolutely be the favorite in the fight.

With that said, I feel Roy Nelson's skills are vastly underrated. I do not believe he is a great striker, despite his last two knockout wins, nor do I believe he has the cardio needed to go to war for 3 solid rounds and still be as effective in the 3rd as in the 1st. But Roy is a veteran and will be the more experienced fighter come the 7th. Roy is a former Heavyweight Champion of the now defunct International Fight League and boasts a solid record of 15-4 in MMA. Roy himself has shown the ability to knock opponents out as he too has knocked out opponents eight times.

Where I feel Roy’s advantage will be is on the ground. Roy is an accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner. He is a black-belt under Cesar Gracie and has competed in various grappling tournaments such as the ADCC Submission Grappling Tournament. He also holds a win over Frank Mir in a grappling contest, held by Grapplers Quest. Roy more than knows his way around the mat, and more importantly knows how to use his size and weight to his advantage.

With Dos Santos steamrolling through his competition, many have called for him to have a title shot already. Dana White had other plans and allowed Cain Velasquez the chance at the champ Brock Lesnar this October. The fact that Junior has had so much push in the past for a title shot, coupled with the fact Roy Nelson is the TUF: Heavyweights winner leads me to believe this could absolutely be a number one contenders match, even if it is not confirmed. Should that be the case, that makes this a huge bout. Both for the fans and the UFC.

While I won't count Nelson out, Dos Santos absolutely has to be the favorite in this fight. His hand speed, power and endurance give him the edge over Big Country, coupled with the fact that Dos Santos trains diligently with the Noguiera’s at Team BlackHouse. In my opinion, the only way I see Roy Nelson winning this fight is to get the fight to the ground early and use his “now infamous” crucifix ground-n-pound. If Roy can keep the fight on the ground, I believe he wins. I honestly believe he will school Dos Santos should the fight go to the ground. I just do not see the speed, strength and cardio of Dos Santos letting that happen. Dos Santos is too fast and hits too hard for Roy to hang with him an entire fight.

Marsh’s Pick: Dos Santos 2nd RD TKO

Questions? Comments? Contact Me : andysilvanumber1@yahoo.com